Adjustable reed for musical wind instruments



Dec. 10, 1940.

A. BRILHART ADJUSTABLE REED FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 6, 1940 3nnentor A/wow 1311mm (Ittotn'eg Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE REED FOR. MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to musical wind instruments provided with mouthpieces having reeds mounted thereon and, more particularly, to improvements in reeds for musical wind instruments of said type.

Musicians are Well acquainted with the fact that reeds vary in quality and character especially with respectto their flexibility, some reeds possessing considerable flexibility and others being relatively stiff. Due to the variations in reeds, it is frequently necessary for the musician to have available a supply of reeds so that he can select one suitable to him or to treat the reed as, for example, by shaving the same down to adapt the reed to his purpose. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a reed which can be readily adjusted with respect to the flexibility or stiffness thereof to suit the requirements or wishes of the musician.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable reed which can be attached to musical instruments without substantial change in the construction of the mouthpiece.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable reed constructed and arranged so that it is capable of being readily adjusted to provide relatively small changes in the flexibility thereof whereby the sensitiveness of the reed can be easily controlled.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be fully understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, it being understood that the drawing, while illustrative of the invention, is not limitative thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a sectional View of a mouthpiece provided with an adjustable reed, shown in elevation, embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the mouthpiece and reed, the ligature being omitted for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating another form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the mouthpiece l0, which may be the mouthpiece of a saxophone, clarinet, or other musical wind instrument, is provided with the adjustable reed l2, removably secured thereto by any suitable ligature M which engages the reed and holds the same on the lay l6 of the mouthpiece.

The adjustable reed I 2 constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises the usual vibratile tongue l8 and an adjustable leaf spring 20 carried by said tongue and extending longitudinally thereof between a point forwardly of the lay of the mouthpiece and the tip thereof, when the reed is mounted on the mouthpiece. Said resilient member or leaf spring 20 is arranged so that its free end 22 exerts pressure on tongue l8. The opposite end of spring 20 is secured to tongue [8 by a screw 24 which projects from the inner surface of said tongue through an opening therein to the outer surface thereof where the shank of the screw is engaged by a threaded nut 25. A resilient rubber washer 28 is disposed between the inner surface of tongue l8 and the adjacent surface of the head of screw 24. Thus, by tightening nut 26, the pressure of spring 20 on tongue l8 can be increased whereby to increase the stiffness of the reed, while by loosening said nut somewhat, the pressure of said spring on tongue It! can be decreased. Thus, provision is made for securing spring 20 to tongue l8 and for adjusting the pressure of said spring on said tongue to vary the stiffness or conversely the flexibility of the reed. By referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be observed that the means for securing spring 20 to tongue I 8 and for adjusting the stiffness of the reed does not extend appreciably into the opening of the mouthpiece since the resilient washer 28 and the head of the screw 24 lie within a recess 30 formed in a side wall of the mouthpiece adjacent the lay Hi.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the spring or adjustable stiffening member 20a for the tongue l8 of the reed is substantially as wide, for at least part of its length, as the width of the opening of the lay. This eliminates substantially the irregular air passage in the tone chamber and provides a guide for the smooth flow of air from the tip of the mouthpiece through the chamber over this relatively wide reed stiffening member. It will be understood that member 200. can be of the same width throughout its length instead of tapering in width from the point to which it is secured to tongue I 8 to the forward end 22a which bears on said tongue, the width of member 2211. being, as stated, preferably equal to the width of the opening of the lay.

It will be noted that the reed-adjusting means in both illustrated forms of the invention, is carried entirely by the vibratile tongue and not by the mouthpiece. The reed adjusting'means of the invention therefore permits the reed itself to vibrate freely and independently of any contact with the mouthpiece other than by the ordinary ligature, and accordingly the vibration of the reed is not restricted or limited in any way by any reed adjusting means which is at the same time attached to the mouthpiece. Moreover, the reed can be adjusted when removed from and separate from the mouthpiece, and the reed can also be adjusted when on the instrument and while playing the instrument, it being unnecessary to remove the ligature.

While I have shown and described one form of the invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here shown, and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts of the adjustable reed may be made and will occur" to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the invention as herein shown or described except to the extent which may be required by the scope of the appended claims.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable reed for a musical wind instrument comprising a vibratile tongue, and means for varying the vibratory characteristic of said tongue comprising a member carried by said tongue, one end of said member being fixed to said tongue and the other end of said member pressing on said tongue, and means for varying the pressure of said other end of said member on said tongue.

2. An adjustable reed for a musical wind instrument comprising a vibratile tongue, and means for varying the vibratory characteristic of said tongue comprising a resilient member carried by said tongue, one end of said member being fixed to said tongue and the other end of said member pressing on said tongue, and means for varying the pressure of said other end of said member on said tongue.

3. An adjustable reed for a musical Wind instrument comprising a vibratile tongue, means for varying the vibratory characteristics of said tongue comprising a member carried by said tongue and extending longitudinally thereof in adjustable pressure relation thereto, said member being clamped at one end thereof to said tongue at a point spaced from the forward end thereof and exerting pressure on said tongue at a point between said end and the forward end of carried by said tongue and engaging said resilient,

member for varying the pressure exerted thereon by said resilient member.

5. In a musical instrument having a mouthpiece provided with a vibratile tongue, a resilient member carried by said tongue in pressure relation thereto, and means carried by said tongue and by said member for varying the pressure exerted by said. member on said tongue.

6. A mouthpiece for a musical wind instrument comprising a vibratile tongue mounted thereon, a resilient member extending longitudinally of said tongue and exerting pressure thereon, and means carriedby said tongue and by said member for varying the pressure exerted by said member on said tongue.

'7. A mouthpiece for a musical wind instrument comprising a vibratile tongue mounted thereon, a resilient member extending longitudinally of said tongue and bearing on. the latter at longitudinally spaced points, and means carried by said tongue for varying the pressure exerted thereon by said resilient member.

8. A mouthpiece for a musical wind instrument comprising. a vibratile tongue mounted thereon, one end of said tongue being secured to the mouthpiece, means for varying the vibratory characteristic of said tongue comprising a member clamped at one end thereof to said tongue independently of said mouthpiece and having a part engageable with said tongue at a point spaced from said secured end of said tongue.

9. An adjustable reed for a musical wind instrument comprising a vibratile tongue, and means for varying the vibratory characteristic of said tongue comprising a member carried by said tongue and extending longitudinally thereof, said member being clamped to said tongue at a point spaced from the forward end thereof and exerting pressure on said tongue at a point between said clamped end and the forward end of said tongue, and means for varying the pressure exerted on said tongue at'said last mentioned point.

ARNOLD BRILHART. 

